The name Kedrostis leloja has been frequently misapplied to Kedrostis abdallai A.Zimm., a closely related species with a much wider range in Africa. It is very possible that the uses recorded below refer to the latter or to both species[].

Common Name:

General Information

Kedrostis leloja is a herbaceous, perennial climbing plant producing stems up to 2 metres long from a swollen tuberous rootstock. The bristly or hairy stems scramble over the ground and clamber into nearby plants, attaching themselves by means of tendrils[, ].
The edible fruits and leaves are sometimes gathered from the wild for local consumption. The plant is sometimes cultivated for its fruit in Namibia[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Africa - Senegal, Nigeria, Cameroon, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana, S Africa; Yemen

Habitat

Combretum woodland, deciduous bushland with Acacia or Euclea, in wooded grassland of dry areas at elevations from sea level to around 1,650 metres[, ].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Habit	Perennial Climber
Height	1.50 m
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Within the plants native range it is considered to be a weed ofarable land[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw[, ]. Fleshy[]. A bitter flavour[]. Eaten mainly by children[, ]. The shiny, orange fruits are about 50 - 90mm long and 15mm wide, containing smooth, dark brown, round seeds surrounded by orange flesh in little packets of red watery tissue[].

Leaves - -cooked and eaten as a vegetable[, ]. The leaves are chopped and cooked; coconut milk or pounded groundnuts are added, and the whole is eaten along with a staple such as rice[].

Root[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -

Add a Comment:

If you have any useful information about this plant, please leave a comment. Comments have to be approved before they are shown here.

Name:

Email(Private):

Message:

Captcha: 6 add another 6 is?